LOS ANGELES – American rock star Tom Petty has died at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack at his home in Malibu on Monday, his family confirmed.

A statement issued on behalf of Tom Petty’s family said “we are devastated to announce the untimely death of our father, husband, brother, leader and friend.”

Petty suffered a heart attack “in the early hours” of Monday morning.

He was taken to UCLA Medical center “but could not be revived,” the statement said.

“He died peacefully at 8:40 pm PST (0340 GMT), surrounded by family, his bandmembers and friends,” the statement concluded.

The confirmation of his death came hours after the Los Angeles Police Department was forced to issue a statement disavowing any knowledge about the rock star’s condition after it had inadvertently informed some media sources that Petty had died.

“The LAPD has no information about the passing of singer Tom Petty. Initial information was inadvertently provided to some media sources. However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting,” the department said.

Petty was a prominent figure in the American rock music scene, thanks to albums like “Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers” (1976), “Damn the Torpedoes” (1979), “Full Moon Fever” (1989) and “Wildflowers” (1994).

Earlier this year, Petty received the Recording Academy’s Person of the Year award, as part of celebrations that take place before the Grammy Awards, and has been a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2002.

Petty and his fellow-members had been on tour this year, celebrating 40 years of the band.

The tour began on April 20 in Oklahoma and concluded in the legendary Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, where Petty performed on three nights, Sept. 21, 22 and 25.

Enter your email address to subscribe to free headlines (and great cartoons so every email has a happy ending!) from the Latin American Herald Tribune: